Compositions and methods for inducing crop changes by leveraging the effects of an applied agricultural chemical

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to compositions, methods and systems entailing one or more microbial agents' or their derivatives being applied to crop plants such that changes in. plant gene expression are induced that either mitigate or leverage the effects of an applied agricultural chemical including induction of herbicide resistance on an otherwise herbicide susceptible plant. The present disclosure allows for the use of. non-GMO plants in combination with microbial agents or derivatives that signal the plant to combat the effects of the herbicide. Thus, possible transfer of herbicide. resistance genes to weed populations is. elini&tated. and the use of different microbe-herbicide combinations an sequential crops, resulting in the ability to improve the usefulness of a given herbicide.

1 . A method of conferring plant resistance to a control agent, comprising:
 a. selecting one or more plants;   b. applying to the plant a biological mediator, wherein the biological mediator imparts resistance to the control agent; and   c. separately, simultaneously or sequentially applying the control agent to the plants exposed to the biological mediator, wherein the plants exposed to the biological mediator possess increased resistance to the control agent compared to plants in the presence of the control agent that have not been exposed to the biological mediator.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more plants is selected from the group consisting of corn, alfalfa, rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, cotton, sorghum, sunflower, peanut, potato, sweet potato, bean, pea, chicory, lettuce, endive, cabbage, brussels sprout, beet, parsnip, turnip, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, spinach, onion, garlic, eggplant, pepper, celery, carrot, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, apple, pear, melon, citrus, strawberry, grape, raspberry, pineapple, soybean, tobacco, tomato, maize, clover, sugarcane,  Arabidopsis thaliana , Saintpaulia, petunia, pelargonium, poinsettia, chrysanthemum, carnation, zinnia, roses, snapdragon, geranium, zinnia, lily, daylily, Echinacea, dahlia, hosta, tulip, daffodil, peony, phlox, herbs, ornamental shrubs, ornamental grasses, switchgrass, and turfgrass, or any other plant or seed or crop, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological mediator is selected from the group consisting of  Bradyrhizobium  spp.,  Trichoderma  spp.,  Bacillus  spp.,  Pseudomonas  spp. and  Clonostachys  spp. or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological mediator is selected from the group consisting of  T. harzianum  (T22),  T. harzianum  strain K2 (PTA ATCC 9708),  T. atroviride  strain K4 (PTA ATCC 9707),  T. viride  strain K5,  T. viride  strain NRRL B-S0S20,  T. harzianum  strain RR17Bc (ATCC accession number PTA 9708),  T. harzianum  strain F11Bab (ATCC accession number PTA 9709),  T. atroviride  strain WW10TC4 (ATCC accession number PTA 9707),  Bacillus amloliqofaciens  AS1, AS2 and/or AS3, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control agent is selected from the group consisting of one or more herbicides, one or more pesticides, Methyl Violagen (Paraquat), essential oils, clove oil, citrus oils, lemongrass oil, thyme oil, eugenol, thymol, citral, limonene, nonanoic acid, SCYTHE™, atrazine, glyphosate, glufosinate, ACCELERON™, ipconazole, metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin (fungicides), clothianidin, chemical pesticides, fungicides, nematocides,  Pasteuria nishizawae , Clariva™,  Bacillus firmis  strain I-1582, VOTIVO™, MILSTOP™, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, Sylet Oil, Neem oil, SAFER'S SOAPS™, and  Reynoutria sachalinensi , and extracts thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological mediator imparts resistance through upregulation of plant ROS cycling genes, altering plant gene expression antagonistic to those herbicides, and/or long term changes in plant gene expression via epigenetic regulation and/or signaling, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological mediator is a microbial agent, microbial metabolite, extract, and/or culture filtrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the biological mediator is a fungal or bacterial microbe, or both. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the microbial agent colonizes the root of the plant. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application of the biological mediator is selected from a means or group consisting of broadcast application, aerosol application, spray-dried application, liquid, dry, powder, mist, atomized, semi-solid, gel, coating, lotion, linked or linker material, material, in-furrow application, spray application, irrigation, injection, dusting, pelleting, or coating of the plant or the plant seed or the planting medium with the agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the metabolite or extracts or culture filtrate to mediate plant herbicide resistance fungus/bacterium. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application of the control agent is selected from a means or group consisting of broadcast application, aerosol application, spray-dried application, liquid, dry, powder, mist, atomized, semi-solid, gel, coating, lotion, linked or linker material, material, in-furrow application, spray application, irrigation, injection, dusting, pelleting, or coating of the plant or the plant seed or the planting medium with the agent. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control agent is a herbicide that targets plant protein, biochemical, enzymatic, and/or metabolic function. 
     
     
         14 . A system for conferring plant resistance to a control agent, comprising:
 a. one or more plants;   b. at least one biological mediator that imparts resistance to the control agent;   c. a means for localized application of the at least one biological mediator, wherein the localized application imparls systemic resistance to the control agent; and d. at least one control agent, wherein the at least one control agent is indiscriminately applied to the plant, and wherein the plants exposed to the biological mediator possess increased plant performance compared to plants in the presence of the control agent that have not been exposed to the biological mediator.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more plants is selected from the group consisting of corn, alfalfa, rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, cotton, sorghum, sunflower, peanut, potato, sweet potato, bean, pea, chicory, lettuce, endive, cabbage, brussels sprout, beet, parsnip, turnip, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, spinach, onion, garlic, eggplant, pepper, celery, carrot, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, apple, pear, melon, citrus, strawberry, grape, raspberry, pineapple, soybean, tobacco, tomato, maize, clover, sugarcane,  Arabidopsis thaliana , Saintpaulia, petunia, pelargonium, poinsettia, chrysanthemum, carnation, zinnia, roses, snapdragon, geranium, zinnia, lily, daylily, Echinacea, dahlia, hosta, tulip, daffodil, peony, phlox, herbs, ornamental shrubs, ornamental grasses, switchgrass, and turfgrass, or any other plant or seed or crop, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the biological mediator is selected from the group consisting of  Bradyrhizobium  spp.,  Trichoderma  spp.,  Bacillus  spp.,  Pseudomonas  spp. and  Clonoslachys  spp. or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the biological mediator is selected from the group consisting of  T. harzianum  (T22),  T. harzianum  strain K2 (PTA ATCC 9708),  T. atroviride  strain K4 (PTA ATCC 9707),  T. viride  strain K5,  T. viride  strain NRRL B-SOS20,  T. harzianum  strain RR17Bc (ATCC accession number PTA 9708),  T. harzianum  strain Fl IBab (ATCC accession number PTA 9709),  T. atroviride  strain WW10TC4 (ATCC accession number PTA 9707),  Bacillus amloliqofaciens  AS1, AS2 and/or AS3, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the control agent is selected from the group consisting of one or more herbicides, one or more pesticides, Methyl Violagen (Paraquat), essential oils, clove oil, citrus oils, lemongrass oil, thyme oil, eugenol, thymol, citral, limonene, nonanoic acid, SCYTHE™, atrazine, glyphosate, glufosinate, Acceleron™, ipconazole, metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin (fungicides), clothianidin, chemical pesticides, fungicides, nematocides,  Pasteuria nishizawae , CLARIVA™,  Bacillus firmis  strain 1-1582, VOTIVO™, MILSTOP™, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, Sylet Oil, Neem oil, SAFER'S SOAPS™, and  Reynoutha sachalinensi , and extracts thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the localized application is a seed treatment or root application of the at least one biological mediator. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the root application is a sustained colonization of the biological mediator. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the biological mediator is a microbial agent. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the biological mediator imparts resistance through upregulauon of plant ROS cycling genes, altering plant gene expression antagonistic to those herbicides, and/or long term changes in plant gene expression via epigenetic regulation and/or signaling, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the biological mediator is a microbial agent, microbial metabolite, extract, and/or culture filtrate. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the biological mediator is a fungal or bacterial microbe, or both. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the microbial agent colonizes the root of the plant. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the application of the microbial agent or metabolite is selected from a means or group consisting of broadcast application, aerosol application, spray-dried application, liquid, dry, powder, mist, atomized, semi-solid, gel, coating, lotion, linked or linker material, material, in-furrow application, spray application, irrigation, injection, dusting, pelleting, or coating of the plant or the plant seed or the planting medium with the agent. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the application of the control agent is selected from a means or group consisting of broadcast application, aerosol application, spray-dried application, liquid, dry, powder, mist, atomized, semi-solid, gel, coating, lotion, linked or linker material, material, in-furrow application, spray application, irrigation, injection, dusting, pelleting, or coating of the plant or the plant seed or the planting medium with the agent. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the control agent is a herbicide that targets plant protein, biochemical, enzymatic, and/or metabolic function.